


Leaves from the vine

by Space_Hawk



Series: Inktober 2020 [27]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But Only a Little Bit - Freeform, But for the purpose of angst, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Heavy Angst, I also apparently love using leaves from the vine to cause pain, Iroh and Lu Ten both deserve better, Like even writing this was hard, and it was SAD, bc I think technically Iroh didn't find out until after Lu Ten died, bc this is literally just 600 words of pure angst, he was there while it happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:07:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27238552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Hawk/pseuds/Space_Hawk
Summary: Iroh is there as his son dies. He's there for each painful, shuddering breath.Inktober Day 27: Music
Relationships: Iroh & Lu Ten
Series: Inktober 2020 [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950592
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	Leaves from the vine

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Canonical character death

“General Iroh.” An out of breath messenger burst into his tent.

“What?” Iroh snapped, looking up from his correspondence to the Fire Lord. The guards stationed outside had been under strict orders to not let anyone in, so this had better be important.

600 days into the siege and they still had not broken through Ba Sing Se’s Outer Wall. His troops were tired and war weary. Their supplies running low. All while Earth Kingdom forces continued battering away at them, day after day.

They were close, Iroh could tell. A couple more days and they could finally breach the Outer Wall.

But to do so they needed reinforcements. They needed supplies. Iroh was sure the Fire Lord would grant his request, but only if he could finish his letter.

“What?” Iroh demanded to the messenger, standing frozen in the doorway. 

This brought the man back to his senses and with a slightly fearful expression on his face, he handed Iroh a small scroll.

Snatching it from the messenger’s trembling fingers, Iroh scanned it quickly and he felt his stomach drop.

_No._

“Take me to him,” Iroh demanded, his voice less harsh than before. 

The man nodded and quickly, but silently let Iroh through the encampment. With each step, the fear in Iroh’s chest grew.

_This couldn’t be happening._

“General Iroh.” Another man solemnly greeted him with a bow as they arrived at the medical tent. “Right this way.” 

Iroh wordlessly followed the man inside and through a maze of dozens of beds, most occupied with injured or dying soldiers. The sounds of their moans and tears felt hollow and distant in Iroh’s ears as they navigated towards the back corner of the tent.

At first, all Iroh could see were medics, huddled around an isolated bed, but they stepped back as he approached, revealing a sight that made Iroh’s heart stop.

Lying on the bed was Lu Ten. _His Lu Ten._ Broken body bruised and bloody. Eyes closed and breathing so shallow and faint it was barely there.

One of the medics was talking, but his mind couldn’t focus on the words.

“...surprise attack...earthbenders...crushed…very severe...done what we could...”

Iroh silently kneeled beside the bed and gently took his son’s hand in his own, careful not to cause any more pain. A slight hitch in the unconscious man’s breath was the only sign he was aware of Iroh’s presence.

Tears streamed down his face as he silently kneeled there, the letter on his desk long forgotten. 

After a while, the medics left, but Iroh stayed. Iroh stayed by his side for hours, watching as his breathing became shallower and shallower and shallower. Until there was nothing but the faintest of whispers leaving his lips.

And that was when Iroh began to sing.

“Leaves from the vine, falling so slow...Like fragile, tiny shells, drifting in the foam.”

Softly stroking his son’s hair, Iroh let the music pour out of his heart. The lyrics brought happy memories flooding his head. Memories of Lu Ten’s childhood. Of him as a small child, waddling around the palace in nothing but a diaper. Him swinging around his first sword near the turtle duck pond. The two of them building sand castles on Ember Island. 

So many happy memories, all turning bittersweet as Iroh clutched his dying son’s hand.

“Little soldier boy, come marching home...Little soldier boy…”

Iroh could do nothing, but watch helplessly as his son, his little boy, took one last shuddering breath. 

And then went silent.

“...comes marching home,” Iroh finished. His voice was barely more than a whisper, choked with emotion.

Burying his face in his son’s clothes - clothes that still smelled like his Lu Ten, but also reeked with the horrors of war, Iroh ceded to the wave of emotions that crashed over him, sobs wracking his entire body.

He was done. He couldn’t do this anymore. The strategizing, the siege, the war. None of it. Not when it had taken his son from him.

He was done.

**Author's Note:**

> So I went full-angst with today's prompt because apparently I like to cause pain with Leaves from the Vine lol
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed and as always, kudos and comments are appreciated :)


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